eastern acceMaroondah teens struggle to find mental health support

Maroondah Council youth services team leader Adam Cooper said the feeeastern access community healthdback reinforced anecdotal knowledge about a lack of early intervention services.

Maroondah will pitch for headspace funding announced in the Federal Budget, with backing from community groups, Deakin federal Labor MP Mike Symon and state MPs.

VULNERABLE teenagers in Maroondah are the most likely in the state to feel they have nowhere to turn for help, startling new statistics have revealed.

&8220;It&8217;s out of keeping with every other indicator (in the survey) – kids feel safer, their results and engagement in school is good, they&8217;re in stable milies, access to transport is only marginally lower.&8221;

But Mr Ruzyla said EACH would probe the research further to understand the causes.

A BID has begun for Ringwood to receive a slice of the Federal Budget to build a one-stop shop for young people needing support.

eastern acceMaroondah teens struggle to find mental health support,Only 44.2 per cent of adolescents feel they can access mental health services if needed – r below the Victorian average of 70.4 per cent and at least 10 per cent behind any other local govereastern acceMaroondah teens struggle to find mental health supportnment area.

&8220;One of the purposes is to say to young people and their milies that, &8216;Hey, if you don&8217;t know where to go, there&8217;s at least one place&8217;,&8221; he said, adding existing services still had a responsibility to improve referral protocols and marketing.

Eastern Access Community Health chief executive Peter Ruzyla said a headspace would overcome young people&8217;s lack of confidence in accessing mental health services in Maroondah.

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Eastern Health youth mental health spokesman Mark Thornett said taking the first step to ask for help could be difficult and recommended teenagers start with a GP, school wellbeing officer or community clinic.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development figures, based on a 2009 statewide survey of 10,000 students, have prompted renewed calls for a headspace – a health services hub for young people.

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